I already said I would have bought a 76 key T4 if the Drum Kits were up to snuff but apparently they're not, at least from what I've heard over the internet anyway. Maybe hearing them live in person could convince me otherwise I dunno. But NO 76 keys so that settles that right?
As you recall we did an online Poll to determine who preferred 76 keys vs. 61 keys and it tallied up at roughly 50% either way. So in all practicality Yamaha is missing basically 50% of the potential arranger market by refusing to cater to that other half who prefer 76 keys (or even 88 keys) for that matter.
Yamaha, in my opinion, is stubborn to the core and unless there is a major hierarchy shift with more "opened minded" consumer "friendly" personnel put in charge at Yamaha Music Division we can probably kiss any 76 key totl arranger goodbye until such a time as that occurs, if it ever does.
What I surmise is happening is some big shots from Yamaha check in here at Synthzone occasionally (as Steve Deming has alluded to) and they try to get a feel as to what we want in an arranger. Because we (me included) have given Yamaha a hard time on occasion and we (me included) have at times lambasted Yamaha for their "indifference" to keyboardists wanting more ivory to play on than the paltry 61 keys that all Tyros succumb to, perhaps Yamaha sees our bickering which has all been done in good nature but Yamaha has taken offense at it apparently, and they have seen the strong emotions rallied toward them and since Japanese are pacifists who do not like strong dialogue or to be confronted in such an opposing manner (with critical critiquing apparently) I really think Yamaha has taken it "personally" and they actually take pleasure in thumbing their noses at us i.e. - the consumer(s) who want more than they're willing to give i.e. 76 keys, better Drum Kits etc., for their totl arranger model. I could be wrong but that is my suspicion anyway.
So perhaps if we (me included) had taken a different approach, and instead, sucked up to them
Big Time (which apparently stokes their egos I reckon) then maybe we could have already had a 76 key Tyros with better Drum Kits somewhere down the line e.g. Tyros3, etc.
In conclusion, Yamaha has perhaps succumbed to a personal vendetta against those they (Yamaha) perceives as their enemies i.e. those who use strong emotional appeals to try and change Yamaha's mind and policy regarding their top end arranger line. In retaliation, Yamaha continues to simply ignore the pleas of those whom they perceive as their enemies i.e. - anybody who wants 76 keys or better Drum Kits or who uses strong emotional appeals to get through to their thick skulls...
or or or... you get the picture.
Thank God that there are other arranger keyboard manufacturers out there who don't take a liking to personal vendettas against their consumer base(s) such as Korg, Ketron, Casio and Roland. Although since Yamaha is "king of the hill" in overall sales of keyboard products they may feel empowered to "squash" any opposing dissent and still not feel financially threatened in any way. In other words, their bottom line isn't negatively impacted in any substantial way because they're able to 'snooker' (hoodwink) gobs of people into buying each successive (and cosmetically incremental) 61 key Tyros - with mediocre Drum Kits - with each new model that they introduce. People keep buying them so Yamaha keeps making them = the same, with minor improvements, with only 61 keys, and with mediocre Drum Kits, etc. As they laugh all the way to the Bank I might add too.
What is that saying again?... "a sucker is born every minute?" Is that what Yamaha is relying on to continue to fuel their 61 key arranger keyboard business? Let's hope not... but you be the judge.
All the best,
Mike
) to simply, instead of asking for a 76 PSR or Tyros, we simply asked for a DGX with EXACTLY the same OS and sounds as those keyboards? Then you could continue in your delusion that Yamaha don't MAKE 76 arrangers, and we could get exactly what we want... 
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